What an extremely shallow comment. Perhaps the financial situation of the couple compels them to live in such a home? Regardless, that, in particular, is really nobody's business.

It's not shallow; my point is that Princess Irina has made life choices that are surprising for a princess, that put herself in a very bad position and that certainly did not have to happen.

She is royalty and her parents now have plenty of money. She could have married well (as there are plenty of eligible men who would marry a princess) and lived a good life, and surely King Michael would at least help her buy a house if she needed it. Couldn't she live at one of his many houses if she needed a home?

However, she didn't. Rather than living a royal life, she's now living a "redneck" and, if the allegations are true, criminal life. All of the allegations, if true, indicate that something is seriously, seriously wrong, regardless of her financial situation.

When someone is born into royalty, they have many opportunities to go places and do things that others for various reasons (mostly economic) don't have. Most use these opportunities in a positive way or a way that helps others.

There are many domestic animals in the world (horses, dogs, cats just to name a few) that are abused, neglected and abandoned. It's too bad that Princess Irina didn't use her resources or help raise money to help these animals or to shelter some of them on her property. If she and her husband had done this, we wouldn't be talking about both of them being arrested.

I agree with nascarlucy. Plus, the extensive press coverage of these troubles indicates at least that Princess Irina and the Royal Family have global star power. Think of the good things that could have been done with that kind of influence.

CSENYC and nascarlucy, I agree with both your comments. There is a certain decorum one expects from a member of a royal house, reigning or not.

At the same time, attacks directed at forum commentators who happen to criticize the Romanian royals reveal lack of manners and an intolerant mentality. Please keep in mind that this is a discussion forum, not a fan page, Benjamin. It is in the best interest of the topic to support your opinions with arguments, not with insults. CSENYC was very kind when overlooking your impolite comment.

__________________"I grew up in Europe, where History comes from." - Eddie Izzard.

It's not shallow; my point is that Princess Irina has made life choices that are surprising for a princess...

I apologize - the way I read the comment was almost as an insult to people who live in mobile homes. I have never lived in one, but I have had friends that did, and they were/are genuinely lovely people. It just sounded rather elitist.

Yes, the financial situation of her father has improved since the 1990s. However, none of the five daughters were raised around any kind of wealth, and by the time that things began to change in Romania, they had already grown up and gone their own ways in life, which was bound to happen.

As far as the marriage-issue goes, on the face of it, perhaps the princesses could have done better. They are as blue blooded as they come. However, maybe this was never a topic that was addressed by their parents. The Queen once said that she was not sure how good of a job she did raising daughters.

Anyways, materially speaking, the first marriage of Princess Irina was probably the best that any of the sisters achieved because the Kreuger family is quite wealthy and friendly with the Swedish royals..

At the same time, attacks directed at forum commentators who happen to criticize the Romanian royals reveal lack of manners and an intolerant mentality. Please keep in mind that this is a discussion forum, not a fan page, Benjamin. It is in the best interest of the topic to support your opinions with arguments, not with insults. CSENYC was very kind when overlooking your impolite comment.

Oh dear. It sounds as if someone has been unsettled by the various times that they have been corrected by other forum members in regards to factually incorrect statements that they have made about the Romanian royal family. Apologies to you as well, then!

Oh dear. It sounds as if someone has been unsettled by the various times that they have been corrected by other forum members in regards to factually incorrect statements that they have made about the Romanian royal family. Apologies to you as well, then!

Received. And no, corrections are fine and they do contribute to the discussion and the topic. I am not the universal holder of truth and I don't believe anyone really is. We are discussing and sharing opinions in a civilized manner.

While the King has had a difficult exile, with frequent residence changes, I do not believe he was living in poverty. While he was living beneath the standards of a royal, he was not living as a pauper either (middle-class comes to mind), a fact confirmed by his close friends (now deceased) in Switzerland.

However, Princess Irina's behavior has nothing to do with finances.

__________________"I grew up in Europe, where History comes from." - Eddie Izzard.

Why did the Princesses do bad weddings , divorced and married badly again.
I saw pictures of Irini wedding I and Ii and how she changed .
Princess Sofia did not attend his father's celebrations.
Only the Crown Princess married a man completely devoted to the Romanian Royal family.

There was an article written by Peter Kurth not long after the dictatorship fell, and it offered a close-up view of what life had been like for the family up until then. Maybe you have already read it, but here is the link. They seem to have done the best that they could; their circumstances do not seem to have been always exceedingly easy.

She had previously published a book of stories for children (Copilul Soarelui) and three works illustrated with her photography (When Nature Calls, Along the flowers' way, and A Small Wink From Brittany).

It's not shallow; my point is that Princess Irina has made life choices that are surprising for a princess, that put herself in a very bad position and that certainly did not have to happen.

She is royalty and her parents now have plenty of money. She could have married well (as there are plenty of eligible men who would marry a princess) and lived a good life, and surely King Michael would at least help her buy a house if she needed it. Couldn't she live at one of his many houses if she needed a home?

However, she didn't. Rather than living a royal life, she's now living a "redneck" and, if the allegations are true, criminal life. All of the allegations, if true, indicate that something is seriously, seriously wrong, regardless of her financial situation.

First of all, her parents do not have a lot of money. The family left Romania with nothing. Michael had to work to support his family, but he never earned enough. They lived in Switzerland in a home that was purchased by another family member. Family friends paid for the girls' boarding school fees. Michael and Anne were very private, and the girls did not grow up with other royals, apart from cousins. Moreover, Michael does not own a lot of homes. He and Queen Anne live in a small house in Switzerland. The only real home in Romania that they own is Savarsin, which is some hours from Bucharest. Sinaia was returned to the king, and it is open to the public (the family probably makes no money off it). Elisabetha Palace is owned by the state, and Michael is allowed to live there, although Margarita and Radu spend more time there. The four younger princesses needed to find their own way in the world. Irina's first marriage to the very wealthy John Kreuger (son of Torsten and brother of Bjorn, who is a close friend of King Carl XVI Gustaf) ended in divorce. So she lived in manufactured housing. Millions of Americans do ...owning a horse farm and raising horses does not make one a redneck.

It is not to you to make judgment calls about people you do not know. I am certainly not going to judge a friend of mine. She did not grow up living a "royal life." as you put it. Please do not make comments about people you do not know. .

Quote:

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Princess Sofia did not attend his father's celebrations.

Sophie could not attend the celebrations in Romania. She met with the family in Switzerland afterward.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin

There was an article written by Peter Kurth not long after the dictatorship fell, and it offered a close-up view of what life had been like for the family up until then. Maybe you have already read it, but here is the link...

It's wonderful that we have someone like you here at TRF to give us the "up close and personal" when it comes to the family.
What an honor it must be to know the King and Queen and their family!
Thank you for sharing and posting for those of us who welcome the great information you share..

Ms. Koenig, I appreciate your perspective and by no means meant to offend. I apologize for the offense.

Unless I'm reading wrong information, King Michael is now wealthy enough to afford to pay for reputable housing for his family, at least based on the 30 million Euros of restitution he should have received from the Romanian government:

And certainly while the Royal Family didn't have a "royal life" until recently (and I never said that they had one in the past), the King and some of the family do now, with official engagements, visits with Queen Elizabeth and the like, residence in the Elizabeth Palace and more.

Finally, living in manufactured housing is not something that middle-class Americans and affluent Americans do. It's surprising that a Princess would do that, and when the rest of the alleged activities in the various articles that I've seen are combined with that, a picture of something very, very, very wrong is clear.

If Irina and her husband went to Bucharest and announced to King Michael, "We want to take part in family events and live here", would the King refuse them? I think not.

I feel badly for her and the rest of the family, and I'm certainly King Michael's #1 supporter.

Cory, you're right; I did some more research. I was wrong; the law to give the King 30 million Euros was blocked.

I see that the King gets (1) a government pension, (2) a government-paid staff and (3) use of several properties, plus (4) various items from Suppliers to the Royal House (a new BMW was one, that I saw). While that's not nearly 30 million Euros, that should be enough to enable him to provide a real house for Irina if she wanted one.

HM the King has more or less 20 000 euro every month as revenues from different sources (pension, rents,etc). He has to pay 5000 euro for the Elisabeta Palace every month.The Royal Family is not as wealthy as some presume.

Finally, living in manufactured housing is not something that middle-class Americans and affluent Americans do. It's surprising that a Princess would do that, and when the rest of the alleged activities in the various articles that I've seen are combined with that, a picture of something very, very, very wrong is clear.

Manufactured housing has come a long ways since the days of single or double-wide mobile homes, which were common and prevalent through the 1980s. I know a lot of middle-class folks, my own parents included, who live in a manufactured home, and this is especially true in more rural areas of the US. I haven't looked at the pictures of Princess Irina's home in Irrigon but if it's anything like my parents house in Prineville then it is probably perfectly finished on the interior with good insulation, skylights, large, spacious and well-appointed bathrooms & kitchens, and quite likely a lovely open-concept floor plan. It could just as easily be a dump but here in Oregon manufactured and modular housing is not necessarily a sign of economic class. Heck, if I owned some property, I'd seriously consider building a home like that because there are some really nice possibilities.